Xeno Hunters Volume I
by DarkElf27
Summary: A story derived of the history of a Space Marine Commander summoned to the aid of a Forgeworld under Chaotic attack , that soon turns out to be something much more than was expected.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Warhammer 40k, or any other GW products. However, several parts of this story are entirely of my own making, with no prodding by GW. Prologue 

748.12.23M35. 2040 Standard Terran Date.

Lumir dozed at his post. It had been a long day, and his breath came with an effort through the smog of the forgeworld Terriq IV, even with the mask filtering the air. He leaned his swivel chair back and yawned, kicking his feet up on the control panel before him and closed his eyes. An insistent beeping woke him some minutes later, and he yawned and moved toward the panel that was emitting the noise. He flicked off the alarm, and looked at the sensors. A ship had just come out of warp a ways out from the forgeworld, and was headed for it.

_Finally, The damn transport's a week overdue._

He activated the mike and hailed te ship.

"Terriq IV Dock control to supply ship, enter outer orbit and send recognition codes, over."

Lumir waited, but there was no response, and the ship did not alter course to enter orbit.

_What the hell?_

"Computer, get the transport on optical sensors, on screen."

The screen flickered, then showed the transport. Lumir looked at it closely. The bulky transport appeared normal at first, but as the ship grew larger in the screen, Lumir could see the ship was nearly shorn in half, the rear half dangling behind, at a twisted angle. The hull was pockmarked with holes, and the bridge was torn off completely.

The sensors screen beeped again, and he turned to it.

_Bloody Feth!_

A dozen more ships were appearing out of the warp, and another dozen. In the seconds that Lumir spent looking at the screen in shock, fully a hundred ships had appeared. He shook his head in disbelief, then picked up the mike and hailed the Imperial frigates in orbit.

"Terriq IV Dock Control to _Swift Respite_ and _Emperors Light_. Incoming ships from out-system, assumed hostiles, I repeat, assumed hostiles. Too many to engage, send distress beacon on all channels, then fall back to nearest Imperial-controlled planet."

"_Swift Respite_ to Terriq IV, How many did you say there were?"

"_Emperors Light_ to Terriq IV, hostiles confirmed, Chaos frigates inbound, tracking 4 destroyers, 2 heavy cruisers... Sacred feth! A battle barge!"

"Terriq IV to frigates, Get the hell out of here! There's nothing you can do! We'll tie them up here as long as we can, now _go!_"

"_Swift_ _Respite_, taking heavy fire, engines down, main power down, breaches on..."

"_Emperors_ _Light_ charging warp engines, ready in 30 seconds."

Lumir watched the sensors helplessly as the massive Chaos fleet swarmed around the pair of frigates. _Swift Respite_ faded from tactical, as it disintegrated under the combined fire of dozens of ships.

"_Emperors Light_, warp engines charged, initiating jump."

The _Emperors Light_ disappeared, and the Chaos fleet stopped firing, and slowly rotated into a high orbit. Several massive carriers moved into a lower orbit, and dropped hundreds of landing craft to the surface, and the scattered anti-aircraft guns fired from various parts of the massive factory-world in a futile attempt to stop the inevitable tide of chaos that was upon them. Lumir could only hope that the _Emperors Light_ would make it to Imperial space and bring help soon enough to exterminate the foul chaos presence before they moved on to the next World, for he knew it was already too late for himself and the rest of the men on Terriq IV.

: 748.12.23M35. 2040 Standard Terran Date, "728"year, "12"month, "23"day, "M35"millennium, "2040"time (military time)


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Warhammer 40k, or any other GW products. However, several parts of this story are entirely of my own making, with no prodding by GW.

Authors Note: I have already completed this Volume of the trilogy. I'm releasing it one chapter per week (5 chapters, plus epilogue and prologue) as I work on writing Volume Two. I'm doing this to try and attract regular reviewers, to give you all something to look forward to each week, and to give me time to get farther on Volume II. Read and enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

748.12.26M35. 0926 Standard Terran Date

Vance Drakken fired the last round from his boltgun, then ducked back down behind the twisted metal barricades that he had called home for the last week or so. A lasgun from somewhere a few dozen meters away fired, and a shabby bit of metal boiled a few inches from Vance's helmet. He yanked the now empty clip from his rifle and slammed another one home, and scanned the crumbled buildings for the source of fire, the bolter raised. He waved for his brother Marines to stay back and cover him, then darted out of the cover towards the nearest building. Almost instantly, another lasbolt screamed past him, and he ducked again, firing a couple bolts in the general direction of the incoming fire. The firing stopped, and he ran to the building and jumped through a hole that had been blasted in the wall. He raised his bolter again and cleared the room, nothing. He crept to the wall and peered out a window, and saw the heretic. It was a human, crouching in a second-story room in a building adjacent to the one Vance was in. He raised his bolter, zoomed in on the heretic's head, and fired a single bolt. The mans head exploded in a shower of gore, and his lasgun clattered to the streets below.

_One down, a world to go..._

Vance stood, and chinned his mike control.

"Area cleared. Lets move on."

Vance turned back towards the shamble of metal fragments that his Brother Marines had been sheltering as another half dozen of them, wearing the blue and blood-red power armor of the Crimson Fists. One of them held a banner pole with the chapter banner on it; although Vance normally would have it on his power pack, in the dense, cluttered cityscape they now fought in, it would slow him down immensely.

One of the Marines, a soldier by the name of Drake Vendric, put one hand to his helmet, and held up a finger for quiet. Vance waited, and silently pulled the clip from his bolter, feeding more shells into it to replace the ones he'd used.

"Brother Sergeant Vance, we've been recalled, " Drake said.

"What? By whom?"

"It was the master, he said we were to pack it up and head to the extraction point 3 miles back thataway. Thunderhawk's going to pick us up." Drake jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

"He give any explanation?"

"Said we were going off world, but past that, no."

"We better get moving then. Brothers! Gather your equipment, we leave in five."

_Odd, why would they send a Thunderhawk to pick up only a squad?_

1040 hours

Vance held onto the bar over his head and gazed out the window as the Thunderhawk flew up out of the atmosphere, and towards the orbiting destroyer, _Swift Retribution_. He peered out at the destroyer; there was another ship docked to it, a frigate, badly damaged. He could barely make out the ships name on the hull, the _Emperors Light_. He caught a flicker of movement and looked back towards the planet, and saw three other Thunderhawks making their way to the _Swift Retribution_ as well. He glanced around the cramped interior of the dropship, at his Marines, and 3 other squads that had also been picked up.

_Why are they pulling us out of here?_

The Thunderhawk slowed down, and entered the Destroyers bay, and shuddered as the docking clamps grasped onto it.

_Well, I guess I'll find out soon enough._


	3. Chapter 2

See Prologue for disclaimer. AN: After I finish posting this story, I will NOT be posting the continuation. I hope to get it pulbished someday, and that becomes very difficult, if the full script, even a rough draft, is posted online. You have yourselfs about 4 more chapters. Enjoy. Chapter 2 

748.12.26M35. 1428 Standard Terran Date

Vance stood rigid in his file, his squad behind him in a straight row, unmoving. About a hundred other Crimson Fists stood around him in the somewhat cramped podium, along with the force's two Dreadnoughts, one of which had apparently been brought recently, stood near the back, utterly motionless. As he glanced back and forth at his brother marines, he saw Master Rejius enter from a doorway at the front of the room, and stand before the Marines.

"3 days ago," Master Rejius began, "The forgeworld of Terriq IV was taken over when a fleet of well over a hundred Chaos ships appeared at the systems edge. From what we know, which is very little, no less than twenty five thousand Heretics landed on the world. Lord Inquisitor Lidrus has ordered the largest Space Marine mobilization since the Second Founding to retake the planet. Without that forgeworld, the Imperial regiments, and indeed the marine chapters will fall to the Orks and Heretics that plague this border of the Imperium as the supplies provided by the forgeworld are gone. Therefore, every chapter within a weeks travel has been ordered to send a hundred Marines, and what ships and vehicles they can spare to an assembly point, and to be organized as a single force, to be named the Foe Cleansers."

Five thousand marines to retake a single planet! There hasn't been a force of Space Marines that large since before Second Founding!

"You, my brethren, are being sent to join this force. This destroyer will soon embark at top warp to the assembly point. Vance Drakken, step forward."

Vance duly stepped forward, wondering what was going on.

"I hereby promote you to Master." Rejius stepped forward to Vance, and handed him a data pad.

"This contains the information we _do_ have on the Heretics that took over Terriq IV, as well as the force you will be commanding."

Rejius stepped back, and turned to address the entire force again.

"My brethren! I wish you the best of luck in this mission. May the Emperor guide your blows and steady your aim." With that, Rejius turned and departed through the door he entered by. The Chaplain, who until now had been standing quietly in the corner, came before them.

"When you depart this room, you must go to this ships armory for the re-marking of your armor. In your case, Vance Drakken," The Chaplain said with a meaningful look, "Your armor will be refitted with wargear suited to your rank. That is all."

The Chaplain left through the door that Master Rejius had, and the room was silent. Vance turned, and led his squad through a side door and made his way to the armory.

1544 Hours

Vance, now in his quarters, his armor being re-fitted at the armory, lay down on his bunk. He felt strangely alone, being used to a cramped barracks with his squad, rather than the empty, roomy quarters of a Master. He ran his hand over his centimeter-long dark brown hair, then picked up the data pad, and switched it on. He felt the floor lurch, then come to a slight vibrating as the ships warp engines initiated. He tapped the space on the screen labeled "**ROSTERS LIST**," and it showed a list of men and vehicles. He scanned down the list. He had a total of 250 Marines under his command; 200 footmen, 50 crew. He checked the Chapters that they had come from. Ravenwing, his own Crimson Fists, Blood Angels, and Dark Angels. _Quite a variety…_ He scrolled down to the vehicle listings. Twenty Land Speeders, including five of each Tornado and Typhoon variants, two Predator Destructors, and 5 of something he had never heard of before, "Purgers". He tapped the name, and a file and blueprint filled the screen. At first it seemed like a normal Dreadnought, but as he looked closer, he saw some very large, previously unheard of changes. It had a power fist on each arm, similar to a Furioso class, but slung under each arm was an assault cannon, and mounted on the left shoulder was a Lascannon. As he looked down farther, he saw that instead of the basic single-segment leg, this one was jointed, giving the Dreadnought a much higher stance. He skimmed down to the file, and glanced over it. It had an extra ten centimeters of Ceramite over most of it, and it was triple the density of even the most venerable Dreadnoughts.

What in the Emperors name are they expecting to find on Terriq IV! This thing is powerful enough to take out a small army all of its own, let alone with a 5000 Marine escort and no less than four others of itself! What aren't they telling us?


	4. Chapter 3

See prologue for disclaimer. A/N: I thank all of ye for your reviews. However, could I get some critisism, please? Copliments are nice and all, but they aren't always as useful as other things. Thanks. Chapter 3 

748.12.28M35. 0615 Standard Terran Date

Vance was roused by a light tapping on his quarter's door. He blinked twice, then climbed out of the cot. The new Force Commander strode to the door and opened it, revealing another Marine, bearing a data pad.

"Yes, brother?" said Vance, waving for the Marine to come in. The Marine handed him the data pad, and said;

"Your armor has been fully refitted, your orders are to go to the Armory and examine it. After that, you are requested on the bridge at the earliest convenient time." The Marine saluted him, then turned and left the room again. Vance looked down at the pad. It displayed a schematic of his refitted armor. Not much seemed to have been changed; an extra 5mm of Ceramite had been painted onto it, the Chapter Banner had been replaced with that of the Foe Cleansers, and the armor had been repainted; Black and Blue, lined with silver to symbolize his rank. His bolt pistol had been replaced, the new one made of more dense material, and with a slightly longer barrel; it was the master-crafted weapon fit for a Force Commander. His chainsword was still there, but a Power sword was added to his arsenal, he supposed it was standard. The power pack was more efficient, generated half again the power, and the motors running the joints of the armor were much more powerful, he'd have to get used to that later. He set it down next to the pad he had been given the previous night, and set off towards the armory.

0637 Hours

Vance opened the door to the armory, and watched as a Servitor applied a protective sealant over the fresh coat on his armor. He walked over and stood next to it. _At least they kept the beaked helmet..._ he thought to himself. The Servitor turned, and moved to the next suit; after all, there was half a hundred other suits that required the re-painting of task-force colors. He pressed a control on the console next to the suit, and its scaffold lowered it to the floor, and the back of the suit opened like a flower, inviting him in. He stepped into it, and it closed on him tightly, air pumps sealing it. He tested out the movement. It was very swift, easy movement compared to his last suit, the new motors had more effect than he originally thought they would. The optics in the helmet adjusted to his own vision in a second, not the slow whirring of his old armor. He stepped out of the scaffold, and the gyroscopes in the legs kept him perfectly balanced. He brought up the time on his helmets display, 0649. _Better get going to the bridge._ He chinned the release, and the suit opened up again, and he walked off out of the armory, a pair of Servitors coming up to the armor and setting it back into the scaffold.

0703 Hours

Vance stepped into the bridge, the Navigator in a raised pier in the center, hardwired into the ship itself, hands and feet unconsciously moving, its eyes doing a continuous rapid flitting, as if it could see something, many things, that no one else could. He saw three other tall figures, standing towards the front of the bridge. He walked towards them and, upon seeing their insignia, he saluted. They returned it, and he lowered his hand.

"Vance Drakken, reporting as requested," he said with all the dignity he could muster. By the insignia on the uniforms they wore, one of them was an Inquisitor, another was a Company Librarian, and the third was an Imperial assassin. The Inquisitor only gave him a hard glare, the Assassin only gazed absent-mindedly at the Navigator, but the Librarian gave him a nod.

"Good. We have been waiting. Was your armor functioning properly, Brother?" asked the Librarian.

"Yes, Brother. As far as I could tell, it was working perfectly."

"Good," interrupted the Inquisitor, "Then we can move on to more pressing matters. The heretical forces of Chaos have taken over a crucial part of this sector, there is no time for nattering on about armor. You, I take it, have been fully informed on the situation, and your new rank, Space Marine?"

"Yes sir, I-"

"Good. We are approaching a rendezvous point, at which we will meet with several dozen other Capital class ships, and an Ultramarines Battle Barge. From there, we are going to jump directly into Terriq IV's orbit, and drop every Marine we have onto the surface, and proceed to engage any Chaos ships still in orbit. You, and a selected 4 other Force Commanders will be leading the ground assault. After you have cleansed the-"

"Sirs, we are coming up on a debris field between us and the rendezvous point. Profiles match that of a known Chaos destroyer. Drop out of warp?" The Navigators lips were moving, but the sound issued from a speaker at the nearest console. The Inquisitor gave him a hateful stare, brinking on rage for the interruption. The Librarian broke the silence.

"Yes. Drop out of warp 100 kilometers from the wreckage."

The ship shuddered as the massive vessel dropped out of warp. The blank screens that had lined the walls now danced with images of black space, many focused on larger pieces of debris. Vance looked at a screen intently. The assassin, still utterly silent, strode across to a different screen, examining it intently. Even the Inquisitor, despite himself, gazed at the screens, now rotating between wreckage.

"This wasn't caused by weapons. Look at that hull, its been carved at. Also, there. If I didn't know better, I'd say it'd self-destructed." said the librarian, peering intently at a screen. "But no Chaos vessel has ever been known to deliberately destroy itself. What could have driven them to do such a thing?"


End file.
